Hello all! I am very lucky that I get the opportunity to travel Western Europe for 60 days this summer. As of right now I do not have any solid plans (definitely want to spend some time on the med sea and time in Switzerland hiking) but I’m wondering if any of you have enough experience or have been places that you think are a must see. I’d appreciate any advice and help! I am traveling with two other friends and we’re all in our early 20s and love hiking/swimming and exploring new cities and we prefer destinations that are on the cheaper side. Thank you so much!

Well, of course, must-sees can be different for everyone. But given your interests, Croatia and Slovenia would be a wonderful destination. Croatia has the beautiful beaches, islands, sailing, beautiful coastal cities such as Dubrovnik and Split, Plitvice lakes National Park, and Zagreb, the capital, is very interesting, too, and very different from the coast. Our Croatia itinerary included Dubrovnik, Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, Split, Hvar Island, Plitvice Lakes, and Zagreb. And Ljubljana in Slovenia, which is beautiful, green, and has stunning mountain scenery. We did this in about 14 or 15 nights, to give you an idea of how much time to spend there. You could certainly spend more time in Croatia and Slovenia. And it makes sense to choose countries that are close to each other to minimize travel time.

Italy is easy to get to from Croatia, so Italy is another consideration. You could spend a month just visiting Italy. And Greece is another awesome choice. I was there in 1972, and we have a trip planned for this May. In Greece you have the islands and beaches and awesome history with Greek and Byzantine ruins. You could visit a couple islands, such as Santorini and Naxos or Paros, and also visit the Peloponese Peninsula. And of course, Athens has the Acropolis.

Given the amount of time you have, I would spend 2 weeks in each country to get a good feel of the country. Please remember to allow travel time from country to country.

So perhaps visit 4 countries in 2 months? Such as Croatia, Italy, Greece and Switzerland. If you are interested in Slovenia, it is a small country so perhaps spend a few nights in Ljubljana which is gorgeous and maybe Lake Bled.

I hope this helps. I know my response might be too general, but you have many wonderful countries and lovely places to choose from. Greece is definitely on the cheaper side as is Croatia, but probably not as cheap as Greece. The islands of Santorini and Mykonos in Greece are expensive, and Mykonos is considered a party island.

Thank you so much! I appreciate your advice!

Clearly this is wide open. Switzerland and cheap aren't usually mentioned together..... When in doubt, Prague, Krakow, and Vienna are all exceptional.

There is an unlimited amount of great hiking you can do in Europe, not all of it has to do with tall mountains. I would go to the Slovak Paradise National Park where a crazy network of trails go up ladders, along platforms bolted into the cliffs, and scrambling over huge boulders among waterfalls.